William Lawrence, the Democratic candidate for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, has drawn attention for past social media posts that included strong criticism of centrist Democrats and calls for significant societal shifts. The now-deleted posts, unearthed by CNN, express sentiments ranging from wishing for the "speedy demise" of lawmakers hindering progressive policies to advocating for the abolition of institutions like prisons and the Senate.
One December 2021 post, written in song lyrics and shared on X, formerly Twitter, appeared to be a reaction to then-Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition to President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan. The lyrics included the lines, "Hurry up and die so that we can get started."
Lawrence, who co-founded the climate-focused Sunrise Movement, also posted about his views on the nuclear family, describing it as "isolating, individualistic, violent" and expressing a preference for "Queer families" and "wealth sharing." In other deleted posts, he called for the "eradication" of borders, advocating for "free and open migration." He also referenced efforts to "defund the police" following the killing of George Floyd, calling them a "master class in expanding political horizons and a historic contribution to the Black liberation tradition."
In a statement, Lawrence stated that he no longer supports some of the positions expressed in the deleted posts. "Like many millennials, I’ve done my fair share of thinking out loud on the internet," he said. "I’ve been clear that I disagree today with some things I posted in the past. I don’t support defunding the police or open borders."
He also addressed the resurfaced posts on X, acknowledging he had "said some dumb things" and attributing the "dredging up" of old tweets to "Billionaire-funded SuperPACs" seeking to defeat him. Lawrence asserted that he does not take orders from billionaires or party bosses.
Lawrence is running against incumbent Republican Tom Barrett in the 7th Congressional District, a swing district that has narrowly favored both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in recent elections. Lawrence was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America until July, and his campaign has received endorsements from figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. He has previously described himself as a socialist at times.